The UNLV School of Dentistry recently was granted $1.3 million in tobacco settlement money to screen high school juniors for oral health problems stemming from tobacco use.
The grant to UNLV was the single largest distribution of tobacco settlement money approved last week by a state task force charged with dispersing some of the settlement.
"We think our project will have a very positive impact in tobacco reduction for Nevada's teen-agers," said Steven Smith, dean of the dental school. "We will be screening for oral health problems that may already have developed as a result of smoking or chewing tobacco. We will also be educating the teen-agers about the dangers of tobacco use in hopes of heading off future health problems.
"I think it is very appropriate that money from the tobacco industry settlement be used to reach teens since almost 90 percent of adult smokers start at or before the age of 18.
"Our plan is to screen all eleventh-grade students in the 83 high schools around the state via a mobile oral health clinic," Smith said. Students who show signs of problems stemming from tobacco use or who show dental health problems will be referred to appropriate dental or medical professionals.
Smith said that studies show that approximately 29 percent of Nevada high school students smoke and that about 16 percent of male high school students in the state chew tobacco.
"Given those statistics, it is quite possible that we will see some negative impact of tobacco use among those we screen," Smith said. "Quite often, signs of tobacco use can be seen in the mouth within the first few years of use. Some of these students start smoking or chewing tobacco as early as the sixth or seventh grade, so they may already be showing signs of that use."
Before the program can begin, the dental school will consult with each of the school districts to work out details of the program to the satisfaction of district administrators.
For additional information about the program or about the UNLV School of Dentistry, call 895-2451.
